Series: Red Queen Trilogy #1
Published by Harper Collins, Harper Teen on 2015-02-10
Genres: Action & Adventure, Fantasy, Fantasy & Magic, Love & Romance, Romance, Royalty, Young Adult
Pages: 400
Source: Publisher
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Graceling meets The Selection in debut novelist Victoria Aveyard's sweeping tale of seventeen-year-old Mare, a common girl whose once-latent magical power draws her into the dangerous intrigue of the king's palace. Will her power save her or condemn her?
Mare Barrow's world is divided by blood--those with common, Red blood serve the Silver- blooded elite, who are gifted with superhuman abilities. Mare is a Red, scraping by as a thief in a poor, rural village, until a twist of fate throws her in front of the Silver court. Before the king, princes, and all the nobles, she discovers she has an ability of her own.
To cover up this impossibility, the king forces her to play the role of a lost Silver princess and betroths her to one of his own sons. As Mare is drawn further into the Silver world, she risks everything and uses her new position to help the Scarlet Guard--a growing Red rebellion--even as her heart tugs her in an impossible direction. One wrong move can lead to her death, but in the dangerous game she plays, the only certainty is betrayal.
I just love Epic YA Fantasy and I felt like there have been more epic Fantasies coming out lately,or I just kept looking for them. Anyway, Red Queen just sounds awesome and I was truly excited when I got into my hands!
A World Divided by Blood and by Magic and by Status
There are the Red Bloods who have no magic and basically enslaved and then there are the silvers (who truly have silver blood!!) who are magically gifted and rule the world and of course also the Bloods.
Mare is a young girl – a Red – who steals in order to help her family to survive. And since she has no real other talents she expects to be enrolled in the military. But one night she meets a mysterious boy and next days she is asked to work at the royal court as a maid. Well, better than die for a war that is not truly hers!
But Mare is special! So special that it will challenge everything!
I absolutely loved the setting. A royal court with two wonderful, charming princes with secrets on their own and then Mare who suddenly shows magical powers even though she truly has are blood. And all this happened during the search for the next Queen and then Mare is thrust into this battle of power among people she actually despises!
The common girl that turns to be special and is off to mary a prince does sound like a few other plots we’ve read before, but still, Red Queen has some amazing turns and twits and a world building that is quite exciting.
Twists and Turns and Surprises – Who to trust and who not to?
Mare is alone and fears that everyone is out to kill her, so she needs to choose her allies wisely and needs to learn who to trust. I loved the suspense, figuring out who are the good guys, who want a change as much as Mare and her people enough to help her. Red Queen offers some great turns and twists that came often quite surprising and made it a true page-turner that was hard to put down! Politics full of Intrigue and then there are of course the princes who both seem to like Mare more than it would seem. The romance was definitely a sweet wonderful addition and I’m still surprised by the few turns also the romance took!
Bewitched Rating
Bottom Line
Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard, the first book in the Red Queen Trilogy was an outstanding debut that makes us all wish for more immediately. It’s a captivating story full of political intrigue, mage and power and in between a wonderful strong young woman who might change everything.
Is it just me or are there more and more exciting epic YA Fantasies out lately? Are you also excited for Red Queen?
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I’m almost finished with this one and really enjoying the twists and turns. I need to know more about how this world came to be — hopefully in the next book. Great review.
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I loved the setting, too! I think I need to reread this one because I don’t remember it well enough to write a review it. (Brain fade.)
Mary @ BookSwarm recently posted..Giveaway: Brandon Sanderson’s Firefight and Steelheart
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I’m in the middle of this book and loving it so far. I’ve been seeing mixed reviews and am glad you loved it. I’m very curious about Cal and Lucas.
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